My Two Lives
by desi393
Summary: EPISODE 2 of The Next Generation. Chris has headaches from the dual memories he got in episode 1; when Paige casts a spell, it goes awry...The Halliwell bros. must deal with the consequences of Paige's spell, AND save their 1st innocent.
1. Chapter 1

**Next Generation**

**My Two Lives**

Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed

A/N This is my second episode

Chris still had a pounding headache. No amount of aspirin or ibuprofen could dull the ache. Ever since the day a week ago when he'd gained memories of another time, he'd felt like his head was two sizes too small. Better not use that analogy with Wyatt, who'd be sure to have a snappy comeback.

"Oh, good, coffee," Wyatt said gratefully, rubbing sleep from his eyes. He headed to the coffee pot and poured himself a cup.

"Long night, Wy?" Chris asked archly. He was trying to read the newspaper and drink a cup of his own coffee. Chris was usually great at multitasking. But, this headache! Chris vowed to ignore the pain in his head in front of Wyatt. Wy felt guilty enough, still, over something he'd never even done!

Most often, Wyatt was the first brother awake, but he'd had a date the night before. "You have no idea." Wyatt groaned as he sat at the small table that served the brothers.

"So, it wasn't a good night?"

"No, usually a woman is shy on the first date, not this one. She talked, constantly. Then tried to…" Wyatt wiggled his eyebrows at his younger brother.

"You are such a prude!" Chris responded mock scornfully. "I take it she won't be meeting the parents?"

"Chris, this is definitely NOT the girl to take home to mom." Wyatt laughed. " 'Sides, it'll be a long time before I think of having anyone meet our parents. I'm only 25, plenty of time for Miss Right."

"Settling for Miss Right Now?" Chris asked with a knowing grin.

"I'd settle for her, if she came around. My date last night was so boring that I almost fell asleep and then she jumped all over me, literally. She was like an oversexed octopus." Wyatt grimaced.

"Oh, you poor baby, maybe that was her master plan…do you feel violated?" Chris pretended concern, behind a smirk.

Wyatt grinned, "Worse, I feel like a sex object. I have a mind, too!" Wyatt shook his head, "It's just not easy bein' pretty." He headed to the phone.

"You gonna call her and ask her for a second date?" Chris teased, then sputtered, after his bowl of cereal got tk'd in his lap, "THAT'S personal gain! You don't punish people with your powers. Haven't you learned anything from mom and the aunts? Phoebe died once for something like this!" Chris reminded his brother direly.

"Are you going to call mom and tell on me?" Wyatt laughed good naturedly. "Besides," he added with an innocent look, "I still don't have full control of my powers."


	2. Chapter 2

"Hi, mom" Wyatt kissed his mother's cheek after he entered the restaurant kitchen where she was busy cooking.

"Hello, Wyatt." Piper smiled.

"MMM, smells good. The worst thing about being on our own is eating Chris' cooking." He dipped his spoon in the pot when her back was turned. "MMM tastes good."

Piper rapped his knuckles with her spoon, "Stay out of my gumbo, young man!" She admonished. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, "Do we need another talk about personal gain?" She asked with raised brow.

"Tattle tale." Wyatt muttered, then, smiled winningly at his mother. "I'm still trying to get a handle on my powers, mom."

Piper grinned, unwillingly, back at her son. "You're not that charming, Wyatt." She laughed. "Bring your brother over tonight and I'll give you both some gumbo."

"I can not pass that invite up. Can I come without Chris?"

"Behave," she scolded in mock seriousness. "Besides, it wasn't Chris who told me."

"Is there a spell to block Mel from spying on us?" He asked in real exasperation. His younger sister, Prudence Melinda had recently gained the power of remote viewing and, much as he loved his baby sister, having her remote view him when he was unaware was unsettling, not to mention creepy! He hoped she hadn't 'viewed' his disastrous date…

"There's not a magical solution to everything, Wyatt." Piper sighed. "Maybe you and Chris should each try to spend some quality time with your sister. She feels left out. She's also angry at me, because she's grounded for spying on you. Ha!" Piper crowed, "Funny she didn't premonition THAT coming!"

Besides the power to remote view, Mel had also gained the power of premonition. Her delight in finally having powers was dampened by her disappointment that they weren't considered 'active'. This explained Mel's uncharacteristic brattiness, but still did not make her voyeurism any less irksome for her brother.

"Piper, your interviewee is here," Janice, the hostess, poked her head in the kitchen door. Wyatt grinned and promised his mother that he would try to spare some time for his little sister.

"Be right there, offer him a soda or something." Piper responded.

"Gotcha." Janice winked at Wyatt before leaving. Wyatt interpreted the wink to mean that Janice, pro that she was, had already done so.

"You're interviewing?" Wyatt asked.

"I promoted T.J. to dishwasher and need a new busboy." Piper supplied.

"O.k., well I'll walk you to the dining room, it's on the way to the office."

"Chivalry will not get you any more gumbo, until tonight." Piper laughed.

Mother and son entered the dining room. Wyatt stared at the kid applying, he recognized the brown haired, blue eyed younger brother of the newest, non-demon, bartender at P3.

Still feeling guilty about mistrusting Pace, Wyatt said to his mother, "Mom, you should hire that kid. Chris hired his older brother last week and he's a natural. Besides, anyone can bus, it isn't that hard."

"'Bussing isn't that hard', Wyatt, you were so terrible at it that I spent a fortune on dishes when you bussed here! You couldn't hold on to a bus pan to save your life," Piper laughed.

"It's only because I got clumsy around your waitresses. They were _hot_." Wyatt gave a disarming shrug.

"Good thing you outgrew that awkward stage." Piper grinned at her oldest son before shooing him away, "Go, I've got a new bus boy to hire."


	3. Chapter 3

Wyatt entered his ancestral home for his mom-cooked dinner. He promised himself to spend more time with his baby sister. Wyatt loved Melinda dearly and missed living with her but hoped for a bit more privacy from his sister's prying powers.

"Mom, dad, Mel?" Wyatt called out from the foyer as the clock struck.

"Right on time, boys." Piper said as she exited the kitchen, a kettle of gumbo in her oven-mitted hands. "Melinda!" She yelled towards the stairs. "She's still pouting." She explained more quietly to her son, then added, "Wyatt, where's Chris?"

"He had plans for tonight. He said I could have his share of gumbo." He winked at his mother. "How do you ground a 19 year old anyway?" Wyatt quizzed. "We wouldn't have stood for it." He added, meaning himself and Chris.

"Well, she has no job, no car…" Piper let the explanation trail.

"She had a car, before she wrecked it," Leo hmphed, entering the dining room. "Hello Wyatt," he said warmly, hugging his son. Learning from past mistakes, that weren't technically his own, Leo always made sure to let each of his children know how much he loved them.

"Wyatt!" Melinda yelled as she came downstairs, "I didn't know you were coming," she shot a sullen look to her mother.

Piper, unfazed, replied, "You weren't talking to me."

Seeing the look on her brother's face, she immediately felt contrite, "I'm sorry I've been remote viewing on you. But I miss you, and the powers are new," she rushed through her apology barely taking a breath.

"New powers?" Wyatt asked with a grin, "Gee, that sounds familiar. Did you copy my excuse from spying?" He teased.

"No, I must have missed that part. When the cereal ended up in Chris' lap I laughed so hard I broke my concentration." Mel replied pertly. "I am sorry. I'll try to control it better."

"Good. I WAS thinking about taking you to see that new horror movie tomorrow night... So it's a good thing you're repentant." Wyatt hugged his sister.

"Are you spoiling her or bribing her?" Leo asked with a twinkle in his green eyes.

"Both," Wyatt said, then laughed with his parents, to Mel's consternation.

The family moved to the dining room and sat down.

"Any new power developments with the aunts or the cousins?" Wyatt asked in interest, as he ladled gumbo into his bowl.

"Tory and Sam learned that together they can orb." Melinda started, spooning gumbo into her bowl.

Wyatt asked immediately, "How does that work?"

"They hold hands and think of their destination." She answered her brother.

Wyatt gave a thoughtful pause, "No, thanks," he said.

"Now I know why your sisters instituted a no orbing unannounced rule when we were dating." Leo smiled at Piper.

Piper groused, "They live next door, they don't NEED to keep orbing over here. Especially since they haven't gotten the 'destination' part right yet. They scared the daylights out of me, showing up in the bathroom right after I'd showered."

Years ago, in payment for Paige's work for them, the Elders had conveniently arranged for her to win a small lottery. Her winnings were just enough to buy the house next door and put a bit in investments. The elders were wise enough to know that mortals have bills and financial needs. They felt that besides enabling Paige to not fret about feeding her children, that it was in their best interest to keep The Charmed Ones near to each other, preferably shouting distance. Phoebe had bought the house across the street a few years earlier. She had loved her condo but, as the girls got older, she had reluctantly admitted that her condo was too small for her growing family. The family sometimes joked that as large as the group was getting they would soon own the entire block.

"Sam also has pyrokinesis and Tory has cryokinesis." Mel continued, her delight at her own powers obviously being replaced with a slight case of envy. "So far, no one can figure out what Henry Jr's powers are, if any, same for Ladybug…"

"Don't let Phoenix hear you calling her 'Ladybug', she only lets Aunt Phoebe get away with it." Wyatt warned.

"Peyton's mood projection and empath powers are just getting stronger," Piper concluded.

Melinda tried to stifle a snicker. At her mother's questioning look, she said, "What? I just think it's funny that an empath also has 'me'pathy."

Piper gave her daughter a stern look, "Her powers are as hard for her to control as yours are for you. I know you are less than thrilled to have inactive powers unlike your brothers and the twins." She shook her head, a smile softening her face. "I wonder how we would have been if we hadn't had our powers bound. I'm sure we would have had some sibling rivalry over them."

After dinner, Wyatt cleared the table. Piper kept trying to get him let her do it but he teased that he was raised better than that. Once the table was cleared, and the family headed to the family room, Mel brought out desert, a decadent double layer chocolate cake.

"Now I remember why I moved away. To stay trim," Wyatt winked at his mother. He did continue to eat his cake, however.

"Oh, pooh, you know that when children leave home they gain weight. Ever hear of the 'freshman fifteen'? It's from NOT eating home cooked meals." Piper sniffed. "Wyatt, your friend starts tomorrow."

"You hired Palmer?"

"You asked me to. Besides, bussing isn't that hard," Piper replied with a grin.


	4. Chapter 4

"I told you that I need my bride!"

"And I will obtain her," the lesser demon hunched forward, it would have been a bow of subservience if not for the fact that this demon was incapable of standing upright.

"I have been told that my bride will give me much power…well, she will when I kill her and take her power for my own," He glared at the lesser demon. "Since she is new to her powers you should have no trouble obtaining her for me."

"Since she is new to her power, she is easily off balanced," the lesser demon whined, "Twice she almost hit me with a fireball! And she didn't even know that I was there."

"Pity for her, she won't have time to adjust to her new power…" the Yickem demon mused. "Pity for you if you fail me again."

(X)

"Come on, Aunt Paige, there has to be a way to get rid of these headaches." Chris said, pain and anger thick in his voice.

"I haven't found anything in the book about magical headaches." Paige began.

"We have to do something for him, Paige. It's a wonder he can walk and talk with the amount of pain he has…it's a wonder _I _can talk with the amount of pain in his head." Phoebe muttered.

"See, Phoebe agrees, just write a spell. Something…anything. My head is splitting in two!"

Seeing Chris in so much pain, Phoebe let him get away with not calling her AUNT Phoebe. On second thought, it might be the pain she felt, as an empath, in her OWN head that made her so docile.

"Just do it," Phoebe groaned.

Paige shook her head but complied. She rested her hand on Chris' head waiting for the glow. She was gonna need all the help she could get. While her healing powers alone hadn't helped Chris' headache, maybe between the spell and her healing she could cure him.

"Two memories, too much to hold

One so bitter and so cold

Time and life from Chris' twin

Separate now. Let the healing begin"

With a concussive bang and a cloud of smoke the spell was done, but not before it knocked Paige off her feet. Phoebe raised her head in surprise. Having no lingering effects of a headache, she was on her feet in an instant, searching through the haze for her sister and nephew.

Paige coughed, "Headache gone, Chris?" She waved frenetically trying to dissipate the smoke.

"Yes," replied two voices at once. The smoke cleared and where Chris had stood were two Chrises. One Chris looked at the other, "Houston, I think we have a problem."

"Gee, ya think?" Paige bit back.

"Piper is gonna kill us." Phoebe fretted. She's gonna say, "There's not a magical solution to everything." Paige, Chris and Chris had joined in simultaneously adding their voices to Phoebe's.


	5. Chapter 5

"Now what are we going to do?" Chris asked in exasperation.

"Don't take that tone with me. I tried to explain, tried to be the voice of reason. All I heard was, 'Do something Paige'." Paige snapped.

"She always this cranky?" Chris asked himself.

"No, usually she's very even tempered." Phoebe defended her baby sister; she was, after all, one of the people urging Paige to help. She directed her question to the other Chris, having known both of them it wasn't very hard, "Where did _you _come from?"

"I don't know. His head, I guess." Time traveler Chris answered.

"No wonder I had a headache!" Chris quipped.

"Don't be cute!" Paige cried, "Piper is going to blow…."

"What's Piper going to blow?" Asked Piper as she entered the attic and overheard this last from Paige. It took about a second for the situation to sink in.

"Now, honey, we were only trying to help." Phoebe began pleadingly, "Poor Chris had a headache so bad that I thought I'd die from the pain of it."

"So you cast a spell on my son?" Piper asked softly.

"Uh oh. I think I hear a charge calling." Paige disappeared in a swirl of blue orbs.

"Coward." Phoebe muttered, envying Paige her orbing ability.

"Don't be so hard on her. I am pretty mad." Piper cautioned.

"Hey, don't be mad at them. I pretty much begged." Chris defended his aunts.

"If your headache was so bad, Chris, why didn't you come to me?" Piper asked. She wasn't sure if she was more angry with her sisters for another botched spell - weren't they beyond this nonsense? - or hurt that Chris had gone to them for help instead of to her.

"That was my fault, Piper. I didn't even consider you." Time traveler answered.

Seeing the brief flash of pain on his mother's face, Chris snarled, "Dude, that was harsh! What is _wrong _with you?" He demanded, fire in his green eyes. Nobody talked so callously to his mom, even himself.

"He didn't do it to hurt her. Honey, he was out of his head in pain and he didn't automatically think of Piper because in _his _life, Piper died when he was fourteen." Phoebe explained. She was proud of herself. She was really getting a hang of her more powerful empathy. With all the emotion in the room, it was easier than it had ever been to know who was feeling what.

Future Chris went to Piper and hugged her, "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, mom."

"I know, Chris. You had a hard life." She hugged him back, "That doesn't explain why you're here, now. Why there are two of you." Piper looked to her son for explanation.

"I think when Paige cast the spell, my memories manifested in…me. I'm still not sure how I ended up with two sets of memories, but it was excruciating."

"So where do _you _belong?" Piper asked.

"Back in there with him," Chris 2 gestured to himself. "Maybe I'm just here to help him sort through the jumble, or resolve his issues with Wyatt…"

"I don't _have _issues with Wyatt," Chris protested.

"But _I _do." The harder, meaner Chris assured himself.

(X)

Chris went back to the loft with his more battle weary counterpart. He tried making quips about talking to himself but with a quelling look from the other him he fell silent. Usually Chris was uncomfortable with... uncomfortable silence and today no less so. With great relief he seized on an excuse, "I gotta go check on the club." Then, feeling slightly concerned and more than a bit guilty, he added, "Be nice to Wyatt if he comes home before I do. He never did those things to you."

"We're never going to merge if you run away from me," Chris cautioned.

"I am not running. But, I do have a job to do. I can't exactly take you to P3 with me. Everyone knows that I do not have a twin. How would I explain you?" Chris tried to get himself to see reason.

"Whatever." Chris said dismissively, rolling his eyes, "I'll be here when you get back."


	6. Chapter 6

The hunched demon shimmered into the shade of trees. The thickness of the trees left him invisible to his quarry. He hated being 'topside' during the daylight hours, but what Master commands must be done. As he waited for his master's 'bride' to come within grabbing distance he remembered when he first met his master.

Tricked into servitude by Master centuries ago, he was tired of being bound to the demon. The Yickem demon was not exceptionally strong but he had an ally, a soothsayer. Master was as gullible as mortals, afraid to leave their homes until they'd read their horoscopes. Master refused to make a move until he had the soothsayer's blessings. When the soothsayer was right, Master felt extreme confidence. When the soothsayer was wrong, Master blamed the slight demon who was bound to him. Master should have a more powerful servant, he would rant, he should have tricked a mightier demon. Yet, Yickem would never let Bradas leave his service, not unless the soothsayer suggested it. Bradas knew that demons could steal a witch's power easily enough, if you were stronger than Master, that is. He couldn't fathom why the soothsayer insisted he marry the young fire wielder first, unless that was the only way Yickem could steal powers, still, he'd never heard of such a thing. Either a demon had the power to absorb a power, or had an athame enchanted to absorb the power – a very rare thing- or the demon didn't. As far as Bradas knew, Yickem didn't. But, he'd be a good minion and get the girl.

(X)

"Oh, you're home. Mom invited us for dinner, again, tonight." Wyatt said as he entered the loft and spotted Chris pacing the floor. "She said she's only inviting us because you didn't show up last night."

"She didn't mention it when we saw her earlier. Hope she makes enough for 'plus one'," Chris mused to himself.

"Are you bringing a guest? Taking a girl home to meet mom?" Wyatt teased, erroneously thinking it was time to get some of his own digs in at his younger brothers expense.

"I might as well be." Chris mumbled.

"Hey, Chris, what's wrong? You seem a little different." Wyatt asked his brother in concern. Chris was a smart ass and an occasional pain, but he was never moody.

"Yeah, Wyatt, so do you." Chris replied, "You'd better call me at P3 to tell me about dinner."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Wyatt demanded, confused.

"Just call, I'll be better at explaining everything…trust me." Chris insisted.

Wyatt headed to the phone and dialed Chris' number. He did a double take when Chris appeared on the video screen. He looked from the Chris standing beside him and the Chris on the monitor.

"Chris, what is going on?" Wyatt asked, puzzled, directing his question at the Chris on the phone.

"I'll let you two talk in private," Chris 2 said magnanimously as he left the room.

"I see you've met me." Chris rolled his eyes, "Neurotic little s.o.b…" noticing Wyatt's darkening look, Chris answered his question, "Alright Wy, Paige cast a spell to help me get rid of the headaches that I've been having and it resulted in a split. Does this qualify as a personality disorder?" Chris quipped.

"What's he doing here?"

"Possibly helping me work out the jigsaw puzzle in my mind or helping overcome issues…" Chris winced.

"I told you that we needed to work that out! Wait, what do you mean 'possibly', you don't know?"

"No, but things happen for a reason. We'll merge when I don't need him anymore."

"Chris, this isn't like when you commandeered my 'wuubie'. Our teddy bear had a much better personality than this guy."


	7. Chapter 7

Chris sat in the office at P3, his head, blissfully pain free. He focused on the problem at hand; having two of himself was a drag. But, how to get rid of the other Chris? And, would getting rid of him cause his headache to come back? He didn't mind not sharing memories, although, he admitted to himself, the other's memories came in handy in a fight. The other Chris was much more prepared than he was.

His musings were interrupted by a knock on the door.

Pace poked his head in, "Chris, there's a _young _lady here to see you. She says she's your cousin…"

"I _am _his cousin," said the exasperated voice behind the door, a voice Chris recognized immediately as belonging to his cousin Phoenix. Before he could tell Pace to let her in, he saw her push past the bartender, narrowing her eyes in ire.

"Thanks, Pace, I've got it from here." Chris said tiredly. Usually, he'd be happy with a visit from his favorite cousin, but, today, he had too much on his mind. Giving Chris a look of sympathy, Pace closed the door behind him.

"Goddess, Chris, that guy acts like he's guarding Fort Knox!" Phoenix started peevishly.

"Well, it _is _a nightclub…Nix," Chris rolled his eyes, smiled and pulled his cousin into a hug.

"Chris?" muffled against his chest. He stepped back and watched the transformation on his cousin's face. It was subtle and only if you knew her well enough would you notice the change. Chris knew her well enough.

Steeling himself for the favor she was about to ask, he beat her to it, "No, Vic and Sam can not come to your party."

"But Chris," she wheedled, "They're almost 21."

"Right, '_almost _21'. Not old enough to get into P3. You know that your mom has a big party planned for your birthday, with the whole family. You want to come here after you turn 21, great, I'll buy you a drink. But, under no terms will you bring anyone under age here."

"They don't have to use the front door…they can orb into the office…" seeing that she wouldn't change his mind, she changed topics. "Mom said some freaky stuff has been happening with you. Are you okay?"

Suddenly feeling guilty because for the past week he'd been so concerned with himself that he hadn't thought of how difficult the return of magic was for the rest of his family, Chris waved her question away. "I'm fine. I will be fine." He amended. "What about you? Any new powers? Wait, did you say Vic and Sam would orb?"

"Yeah, weird huh? I guess if they hold hands they can orb together."

Chris thought of Wyatt, he wondered if they'd be able to orb the same way. "No thanks." He shook his head.

Correctly guessing his thoughts, Phoenix shot him an amused grin, "You are such a baby!"

"Can you 'beat' like your dad?" Chris asked archly. Cupid's had the power to move from place to place in the beat of a heart.

"Nope," she shrugged negligently, "Dad's got a ring. Same way you aren't allowed to be a Whitelighter, I'm not technically a Cupid." She grinned again, "But the powers I got from dad were always mis-wired anyway. Remember Christy Casey?"

Chris groaned, he'd had a big crush on Christy in high school. Christy with the long blonde hair and cheerleader smile. He'd asked Phoenix for help. Her help resulted in Christy asking _Wyatt_ to their Senior Prom.

Noting with embarrassment that Chris did remember, Phoenix continued, "Well, the powers I got from mom don't seem to be any better. I always hated the super-attraction thing…"

From puberty on, Phoenix had been overwhelmed with suitors. The family had always written it off as normal because Phoenix was incredibly lovely. "Not normal?" Chris asked.

"_So _not normal," Phoenix snorted, "Guess it's more like hyper-amped witchy pheremones. Oh well, on the plus side, I'm stronger, faster and more agile with my fighting and I barely bruise. I thought the eldest witch got the coolest powers." She continued, "Psyche can walk through walls and Peyton has mood projection and empathy."

"Mood projection?" Chris raised a brow.

"Yep, if she's calm, everyone around her is too, but if she's wired…" Phoenix let her words trail. "How can I protect them? The way Aunt Prue and then your mom did? I don't have enough power." She sighed, "But I'm not the only one. So far, Henry Jr. doesn't seem to have _any _powers. The twins can orb together, I already told you that. Sam is pyrokenetic, and Vic does this icy thing. They can also talk to each other telepathically. As if them being twins wasn't irritating enough." She shook her head, "Mom's been pretty mum on you and Wyatt. The way I figure it is either you two got the lion's share or you got as shafted as Henry Jr."

Chris smiled at his cousin, "We didn't get shafted." He assured her.

"Great, the first men born in a family of witches since the beginning of time and you get all the good powers! That is so sexist." Phoenix walked towards Chris, "I gotta go. I have to plan the party that _doesn't_ include cake and ice cream," she kissed his cheek, "Sure you won't change your mind about Sam and Vic?"

"I'm sure," Chris smiled, "In six months,_ I_ will throw them a party here at P3, until then," he shrugged, "I don't make the rules, I just have to enforce them if I want to stay in business." As his cousin left the office, Chris called out, "Oh and Nix be nice to Pace, he's just doing his job."

Phoenix peered back into the office with a look of bewilderment, "I swear, outside of family, that is the only male above the age of thirteen that I've ever had to argue with. Too bizarre." She shook her head in disgust and headed out.

"Pace, I don't know whether to congratulate you or warn you, if she's anything like Aunt Phoebe…better warn you." Chris decided aloud. Nix was just contrary enough that the one man that didn't fall all over himself to make her happy would be the one _she'd _choose to pursue. Chris chuckled, talking to himself was becoming a habit!


	8. Chapter 8

Wyatt turned away from the phone. "So, _you _don't have any idea why you're here, either?" He directed his question at Chris. He looked at this version of his brother, so different from the Chris he'd grown up with. _This _Chris didn't look like he'd ever smiled in his life. There was also something disturbing in his green eyes, they were guarded and hard. The eyes he was used to seeing were open and usually twinkling.

"Who said that?" Chris asked.

"Chris." Wyatt supplied with a frown, confused about how to refer to each.

"What that guy doesn't know could fill a book," Chris sneered.

"He doesn't know much about _your _life, because he's lived his own," Wyatt defended. "So, you do know why you're here." Wyatt waited patiently for Chris to answer. He kept reminding himself that this was still his little brother, a little brother who had suffered who-knew-what at his own, well, alternate future self's, hands.

Chris didn't answer, instead he posed a question of his own, "Got a handle on your powers yet?" He waited expectantly.

"Somewhat…" Wyatt answered, unsure if he wanted _this _conversation to continue.

"Let's spar," Chris challenged, "The Wyatt I knew loved to practice his powers against mine." The green eyes dared Wyatt.

"Let's NOT," Wyatt said decisively.

Suddenly orbs appeared and left Piper standing between them.

"I asked your Aunt Paige to send me over, I thought you two meeting might be awkward."

"I thought we'd talked to Mel about spying…" Wyatt began, now irritated with both his younger siblings.

"Melly?" Chris asked, his face unguarded for the first time since Wyatt had seen him. It shocked Wyatt a bit. Here, he was upset with Mel and Mr. Personality was proudly indulgent? _What the hell is going on, Wyatt thought._

Piper smiled at her dark haired son, "Yes, she's spying. I know you couldn't tell us much because of 'future consequences' but you _might _have warned me that your sister would be such a handful."

"That's because she grew up keeping quiet and out of the way, of course that was before she died at the ripe old age of ten," Chris stated baldly, shooting a hate-filled glance at Wyatt, who recoiled from the fury he saw on Chris' face.

"Chris…" Piper began.

"I don't have to worry about 'future consequences' anymore, Mom. I can tell you anything you want to know about my life now. Want to know how you died? Mel? Phoebe? Paige? My fiancée…?"

"That's enough!" Piper said sternly, a warning in her dark brown eyes.

"No," Wyatt said quietly, "_I'd _like to know."

"Would you?" Chris asked, slightly taken aback, then in a storyteller voice, "Well, Mom…"

"I said that that is ENOUGH!" Piper roared, "Those things didn't happen here, Chris! Torturing Wyatt with the truth of your life isn't fair."

"You're right," Chris said quietly, "Mom, can we go see Mel?"

"Shoot, we'll have to walk," Piper muttered.

"No we won't," Chris grabbed his mother and orbed to the manor, leaving Wyatt, dumfounded, behind.


	9. Chapter 9

"Chris?" Leo asked in confusion when he saw his wife orb in with his youngest son. The Elders had stripped White Lighter powers from Chris, Wyatt and Paige's three children, because they feared allowing the mortals to be too powerful.

"Hey, Dad, how've you been?" Chris asked.

"Good," Leo answered, puzzled, "You?"

"I remember, you know? How you cried when I was dying. How you didn't want to leave me alone, even though you knew that you had to find Wyatt." Chris informed his father, "I know from sharing memories that you turned out to be a really great dad."

Leo grabbed his son to him in a fierce hug, tears suddenly in his eyes. "Your death almost destroyed me," he confessed, still holding his son close. Leo wasn't exagerating. The death of his selfless time traveling son had affected Leo so badly that he'd barely been able to hold the baby version of him, who coincidentally was born on the same day. Leo's whole life had turned upside down in his grief, he had questioned his own beliefs. Recruited to becoming an Avatar, creatures of nuetral power, he had helped bring Utopia to the world. The problem was neither he nor the Charmed Ones, whom he convinced to help him in the endeavor, _after_ he had proven that he was no longer insane, had read the fine print. The version of Utopia that was offerred was not one that any of them would have agreed to. It was this 'demon free' existence, which was also anger and confrontation free, that finally snapped Leo completely back to himself. The right to free will was not a belief that Leo, half crazed with sorrow or not, would have ever questioned. People have the right to be happy, but they also have the right to be unhappy.

"I'm glad you were the one who was with me at the end." Chris had tears in his eyes, too.

"Daddy, Chris, what's going on?" Melinda asked, wide eyed when she entered the room. Her family was expressive and affectionate but not normally teary eyed.

Leo released Chris who immediately headed to his sister. "Mel? Wow, you're so big."

She rolled her eyes as she swatted his arm, "Chris, if you start turning into one of those 'I remember when you were this big' cheek pincers…" she let her threat dangle.

"Mel, there's some things I should tell you about your brother," Piper began hesitantly. She had no idea how she was going to explain this.

"No," Chris looked at Piper, she could see his love for Mel in his eyes and she knew she could trust him, at least where _this _child was concerned. "Mel, I'm not the Chris you know. Have Mom or the Aunt's ever told you about time travel?"

"Of course," she answered puzzlement clear on her face.

"Well, back before I was born, Mom and the Aunts got a new White Lighter for awhile, a White Lighter from the future. His future was…bad…and the only way he could fix it was to go to the past. His plan worked, the future was fixed. So, I'm the Chris that went back in time and changed his future so that I don't even exist anymore."

"If you don't exist," Melinda began practically, "How are you here now?"

Chris gave a self-deprecating chuckle, "You could call me 'Fix-It Chris', I guess, something still needs to be put right."

"What's that?" Melinda asked with interest.

"That, Smelly Sweet, is my business."

"Ugh, now I remember why I hate it when you guys call me Melly!" Mel threw up her hands in exasperation and walked out of the room.

"Thank you, Chris, for not hurting her with the truth." Wyatt said quietly as he walked into the sunroom. He had stayed in the loft long enough for the orbs to stop spinning. His protective nature for his little sister had taken over and he had driven at a furious speed, racing to the manor. He was glad that he need not have worried; he had overheard most of what Chris had told Melinda. "'Smelly Sweet'?" He cocked a brow.

"Well, Wyatt used to call her 'Smelly Melly' so I started calling her 'Smelly Sweet', I always hoped it would make her smile but mostly it'd just piss her off and she'd storm out of the room."

"Saving you from having to answer awkward questions?" Leo asked, intelligence gleaming in his eyes.

"Yeah, I hoped it would work here too. Mel just got more pissed off with age." Chris laughed.

**A/N Please review...I have a whole season planned, but if anyone would like to see something inparticular...**


	10. Chapter 10

Chris walked slowly through San Francisco on his way home to the loft. Although he had a car, he often preferred to walk. His plan was to walk to the loft, get his car and drive to the manor for dinner. His plan was interrupted by a scream. Chris sprinted to the source and was surprised to see a pretty young woman wrestling with a slight, hunched demon. Acting on his instinct he flung his arm out and the demon was sent flying away from the girl. Hurrying towards her, concern in his bright green eyes, Chris asked, "Are you alright?"

"N…no," came the stuttered answer from the disheveled and shaking girl, "I am so far from 'alright'. Who the hell was that?" She indicated the demon that was shimmering away. "Who the hell are you and what the hell did you just do?"

Chris was confused for a moment. How in the world do you protect innocents from demons and such without giving magic away…or sounding like a lunatic? All the stories he'd heard growing up were about innocents saved and battles won, never had anyone told him what to expect or do in this situation. He decided to wing it. "I don't know who that was. My name is Chris and I ran here when I heard you scream." Simple.

She turned a burning look on him, clearly not buying the easy excuse, "MMhmm," she humphed, crossing her arms in front of her chest and leaning to one side. Chris felt like a slug that just crawled out from under a rock from her intense stare. Although, still obviously shaken, she wanted answers. "Look, I know that you know more than you're letting on. These last few weeks have been insanely strange for me and suddenly I'm accosted by the Hunchback of Notre Dame who my rescuer sent flying with a flick of his wrist. The Hunchback, seeing my knight with the pretty green eyes dissolves into thin air…" she paused her tirade for a moment. "I may be blonde but I am far from stupid. So again, who was that? Who are you, besides Chris? And what the hell did you do? For that matter, how did he disappear and why have I just been through two weeks of hell?"

Obviously, this tiny blonde, who reminded Chris strangely of his mother, was, like Piper, not about to let anything past her. He took a deep breath, squared his shoulders and answered, "That was a demon, what kind I don't know," he shrugged, "I am Chris," he hurried at her snort of disgust, "I'm a witch. I used telekinesis to separate the demon from you. He shimmered back to the underworld. And, I'm guessing, that the last few weeks have been hard on you because you're a witch and just discovered that fact when magic came back."

"Alright, Hagrid, when do you take me to Dumbledore and Hogwarts?" She asked icily.


	11. Chapter 11

The phone at the manor rang. Piper reluctantly headed towards it. She was leery of leaving Wyatt alone with Chris. Her irritation rose when she saw Chris on her monitor. "Why are you not here yet?" She asked.

"Sorry, Mom, I'm not going to make it to dinner. I'll explain later," he stated with a sideways look, indicating that he was not alone. "I actually need to speak to Wyatt," his tone apologetic.

Piper quirked a brow and pursed her lips. "Wyatt! Chris is on the phone for you."

Wyatt headed towards the video monitor, "Chris, what's up? Mom is not happy; this dinner thing is kind of tense right now and your twin is not YOU. When are you going to get here?"

"I kind of have a situation…" Chris started.

"Another one?" Wyatt asked with a slight grin, "How many situations can you have in one day?"

Chris leveled an unamused green glare at his brother. "Get to the loft, Wyatt, we have a family emergency."

"We're with family," The other Chris sauntered over, "Bring your emergency over." He suggested.

Chris turned his glare to himself, "My emergency is freaked enough without overwhelming her with the whole family."

Chris 2 became all business, "Innocent?"

Chris nodded, "Now can we fix this situation?"

"We'll be right over," Chris told himself as he hung up. He turned to Piper, "Sorry, Mom, our reunion has to wait…"

"Duty calls," she supplied with a knowing smile. She hugged him and turned to Wyatt, hugging him as well.

"Sorry, Mom. Rain check?" Wyatt asked with a grin.

Piper grinned her answer.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You're insane if you think I'm going to your apartment. I don't know you." The blonde stated angrily.

Chris was fed up with her attitude. He mocked her by crossing his arms over his chest and leaning to the side. For good measure, he started tapping a foot. "You want answers, right?" He asked rhetorically. "I don't want to wait here for your demon friend to come back," he reminded her. "My family has a big "no exposure of magic" rule, and my Mom is scarier than you. So, we can get out of public and answer your questions fully or you can stand here and be demon bait," he shrugged, "Your choice."

He was happy that the new witch didn't have the power to kill with her looks because the one she was giving him would have caused a painful slow death.

"Some choice," she gritted, "Fine, but I warn you, if you or your brothers try anything funny…" she let her threat dangle, leaving his imagination to finish it. Unfortunately, Chris had a very fertile imagination.


	12. Chapter 12

Mel hugged Wyatt goodbye and turned thoughtfully to her other brother standing beside Wyatt. If this were her Chris she would hug him immediately without a second thought, but this time traveling version of her brother sent off some distinct don't-touch-me vibes. Shrugging she headed to Chris and enveloped him in a hug. Surprised, Chris let himself savor the moment. Hugs had been rare in his time. Mel stood on tiptoe and kissed her brother's cheek.

Chris turned a surprised look to his baby sister. "I just had the feeling that you didn't get a lot of affection where you're from." She answered his silent question.

"Are you an empath?" Chris asked.

"No," Mel shrugged, "But I do know my brothers."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Nice loft," the blonde said in surprise as she entered Chris' apartment. She turned an appraising eye to him, "I didn't expect it to be so homey…I mean your brothers and you are bachelors, right?"

Chris nodded.

She raised a brow, "Which one of you is gay?" she asked matter of fact.

Chris sputtered in indignation, "Neither of us."

"Speaking of brothers, when do your's arrive?"

As she asked the question, Time Travel Chris orbed himself and Wyatt into the loft.

The blonde's mouth gaped open in shock, "You're not lying are you?" She asked in amazement as she sank, dazed, into the couch.

The newly arrived Chris headed towards the blonde. "I'm Chris," he said calmly and gently.

The blonde turned her astonished gaze to the Chris she'd spent the last half hour with. "I thought YOU were Chris?"

"Long story," said both Chrises in unison.

Wyatt smiled at the befuddled innocent, "I'm Wyatt," he introduced himself. Turning to Chris, his normal Chris, he asked, "What's the emergency?"

Chris quickly filled Wyatt and himself in. He turned to the blonde and asked, "Is there anything to add?"

She started to shake her head no, and caught the eye of Chris clone, who also shook his head, giving a silent warning that it was her turn to explain. Reluctantly she started. "About two weeks ago, some freaky stuff started happening. I thought I was sick, feverish. Then I notice little fires sprouting up…like when I'm angry…"

Chris said quietly to Wyatt, "Which is like ALL the time."

"Then they're not so little," she continued, "Sometimes there are little balls of fire in my hands, but it never burns." She turned a glare to the room at large, "Do you have any idea how hard it is to hide the fact that you're a freak from normal people?! I can't keep pretending I don't know why the wastebasket is always smoldering!"

"Well…" Chris 2 was stuck, he didn't know her name. He glared at himself for not getting this small bit of information that may help them to calm the overwrought blonde. Her name, at least was familiar to her, even if nothing else at the moment was!

"Jenna," she supplied automatically, "Jenna Morgan."

"Well, Jenna," he continued smoothly, "As a matter of fact, we all do. Our family has been hiding behind a front of normalcy for years. We can help you. First we need to know why the demon wanted you…"

"Mom said once that fire starters were coveted in the Underworld," Chris reminded himself.

The Time traveler looked at his counterpart with a grimace; that was information that the girl really didn't need to hear. She was freaked enough already without hearing that she would always be hunted from the Underworld for her power! Making a mental note to remind his less weary clone of how to tactfully deal with an innocent, he continued, "then we need to figure out how to vanquish him. Then, if you'd like, we can help you learn to control your power."

A look of hope entered Jenna's face and almost as quickly was gone, "I bet that you don't know how to control my power. Chris," she glanced at the other Chris, "told me about how there are different powers and different ways of controlling them. If you can't start fires how can you teach me to stop making them?"

"As it happens," our version of Chris stated, "We do know a fire starter, one of our cousins," he clarified at his other self's dumbfounded look, "And while she's only had her powers about as long as you have, she did grow up Halliwell. Which means that she knew what was coming, just not when. She's been trained from the womb practically to be a witch. Her mom even let her go to Magic School," he smiled suddenly, "Not Hogwarts but she definitely learned some things there that aren't taught in normal schools."


	13. Chapter 13

"You failed me again!" Yickem roared.

Bradas would have cowered but his normal posture was one of cowering servitude and he could not cower any lower than his deformed body allowed. Instead he begged in his whiney tone, "Master, I tried, but your bride was joined by another witch. The other knew how to use his power. I am not strong enough for the task." He tried harder to get his malformed body to fold even more into itself. He hoped to avoid Yickem's rage by being 'properly' respectful. Yickem preferred cowering servitude, which might explain why he chose Bradas to be the demon tricked into servitude. The cowering posture was Bradas' permanent trademark after all.

"Yickem!" Called the soothsayer. The hag continued in a softer tone, "Bradas is right. He is unfit for the task." She glanced disdainfully at the slight demon adding a look of mild revulsion, before dismissing him entirely. "You should have gotten the fire starter for yourself. Now, it's not too late," she soothed distractedly, "but the task will be much harder. The Witch is being helped by the son of a Charmed One." Ignoring Yickem's gasp of hatred and outrage, she continued, "Luckily for you, he is young and unused to his powers. You will have one last chance to 'acquire' your bride. Fail in that," she warned, "and the Charmed Ones could become involved. THAT is to be avoided." Almost to herself, she added, "Even though they have been as powerless as we for the last two decades, they do remember how to fight, and, just as quickly as we, they have acclimated to the return of magic."

"How do you suggest I 'acquire' my bride?" Yickem asked archly.

The small hag strode to the much larger demon and glared at him with almost as much disdain and revulsion as she had shown Bradas, "Must I do everything?" She snapped.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N Sorry about the brevity of my last update, I had planned to have this chapter (unwritten at that point) follow the brief interplay between the demons, however, my son came home from school and needed the computer for homework- which trumps writing fanfic, heck it even trumps mama kickin butt at sudoku (and I am serious about my sudoku!) So I had to wait until he was all done. I know I have stated that shorter chapters equal quicker Desi updates but that last chapter was ridiculously short. So here is what should have been there…enjoy. Oops, also, although I haven't mentioned in awhile, I adore reviews, lets me know I haven't put the readers to sleep! So wake up! Let me know you care.

(X)

"So what's first?" Jenna asked the confusing trio. Twins both named Chris and an older brother, although the Chris who arrived with Wyatt seemed older and more effective than the eldest brother. She shrugged; she had enough to deal with it without trying to figure out these three!

"First we look in the **book**," unnerving Chris called and those little bluish white bubbles left a large book in his hand which had previously been empty, "for the demon who attacked you," he continued and started to flip the pages in front of her. The edge of the huge book rested on the edge of her knee. A subtle ploy our time traveling Chris learned in the alternate future. The book was literally repelled by evil. When his mother and Aunts had first learned of their magical inheritance their source of wisdom had merely been a book that could not be removed from their ancestral home by demons, as their powers grew, however, the book evolved into not being able to touch evil. As the magic within the sisters grew the magical evil repellent nature of the book grew, it was directly linked with the Halliwell line. That line was now even stronger, Chris wondered idly what would happen if the demons- who were **always** after the book- came into contact with it now. By sharing the burden of the books weight with Jenna he was testing her goodness. He was devoted to helping innocence but he was also used to evil being tricky so he felt no guilt by not immediately trusting in the innocence of innocents.

Jenna was impressed despite herself, "This book is ancient. Look at all these spells! How in the world would a new witch, if that's what I am, ever catch up? I have a feeling that these books aren't in Barnes and Noble." The feisty blonde was full of questions, and wouldn't pause between them long enough for an answer, "You all have this long lineage, how did I get this way? My family is normal," she glanced at the Chris beside her, "No offense."

"None taken," he responded quickly. The innocent was a definite hottie and had he met her before Bianca…well who knows what would have happened? His green eyes suddenly steely he reminded himself that Wyatt had used Bianca and then killed her. He shot a dumbfounded Wyatt a look of hatred. He turned his attention back to the attractive blonde. "You don't worry about catching up; the craft is not a contest. You can write your own book. Maybe you have some magic in your ancestry, maybe you don't. Melinda Warren was the first for the Halliwells; maybe you're the first for the Morgans. Somebody has to be first. Maybe you won't have magical children, maybe you will. No one knows or understands the will of the Gods. You take a deep breath," he coached.

Jenna did as told with a minor humph of irritation. Deep breath in, release. She looked at Chris for further direction.

"You accept who you are and you take it one day at a time."

"Have you ever regretted it?" She asked the enigmatic man.

"Yes…often," he answered ruefully. "But, he," he indicated the Chris from our reality, "hasn't. Not ever. I don't think he ever will."

"Why do you?"

Chris closed his eyes against the sudden pain. Opening them and looking into her blue green eyes, his pain was apparent, "Short version of the long story is I am him, from a different future," he continued before she could ask her inevitable questions, "my future was bleak and magic took everything, every**one** I loved. Now, you're head is probably reeling and it's all too much to grasp, so we won't delve into time travel or the dos and don'ts involved." He indicated the book. "One thing at a time; let's see if your hunchbacked friend is in here." He settled the book fully on her lap and got up to join his brother and himself. In a low tone he began, "I don't know about sending her home. She said she lives alone. I don't know how safe she'll be and until we get rid of the demon **currently** after her," he said to reinforce what his outspoken counterpart blurted earlier, that this girl, because of her power, would be a target for the rest of her life. "And until we have her talk with…." He trailed, unsure of his cousin's name. Paige had never had children in his time.

"Samantha," Chris answered the unspoken question.

"Samantha," Chris' alternate self repeated, "So that Jenna can try to get a handle on her magic and what she can do with it, which would make it easier for her to defend herself from the inevitable onslaught. I think she should stay here."

"Where do you think she's going to sleep?" Chris asked himself in a hissed whisper. "There are two beds here, I am not doubling up with you, sorry, man, but sleeping with yourself has a whole new creepy context when there are actually two of yourself and she is not going to share a bed with anyone. We have one couch. So who gets the floor?"

"Easy, Wyatt can conjure another bed, hell Wyatt can conjure an extra bedroom," bitterness crept into Chris' voice, "And I am sleeping at the manor. I never got much time with mom and Mel so I'm taking advantage. And I refuse to share a bed with either of you and I will not sleep on a bed that Wyatt conjured."

"There he is!" Jenna gasped excitedly, pointing in the book to show the men, interrupting their conversation. Reading aloud she said, "Bradas, a minor demon, tricked into servitude by Yickem. A minion of minor power devoted to a creature of slightly more power." She paused, "That's good isn't it? 'Minor power' sounds like we can defeat him."

"What does it say about Yickem?" Wyatt asked.

"Minor demon, best known for tricking Bradas…hungry for power…never known to face a witch of true power…most likely to never challenge the Halliwell line." She grinned brightly, "That's good news too, right? I mean once he knows you're involved…"

"It also says that Yickem has been around for centuries. That's a long time to be power hungry," Hard eyed Chris interjected.

"You think he might be bold enough?" Chris asked.

Chris 2 nodded, "In my experience, yes. If he's tired of being a small footnote, under the demon who serves him, he might be more inclined to convert her for the power she has."

"Convert?" Jenna asked crossing her arms over her chest in what Chris assumed was her normal stance.

"A witch has a set amount of time to decide if she's a good witch," Chris mimicked Glenda the Good witch from The Wizard of Oz, "or a bad witch."

Wyatt elbowed his brother in the chest, sure that the girl was not amused by Chris' love of old movie trivia.

"And if he somehow convinces me to go the way of the Sith, how does that increase his power?" She asked. Wyatt and Chris both stared slack jawed at the blonde. Who knew there was someone out there who was as much an old movie nerd as Chris?

The Chris who was not nonplussed by this development answered, "I'm not sure what the hell you just said, but it doesn't say in the book just how Yickem tricked Bradas into servitude, maybe that's what he hopes to do with you. Then he can use your power for himself."

"Unless he has a power stealing athame…" Chris interjected.

"But Mom and the aunts went on a rampage before magic ended and destroyed every power stealing athame they could find, and they were rare to begin with," Wyatt added.

"They did?" Time traveling Chris asked with respect. They rarely showed that much determination when I tried to prod them to defeat a few demons," he continued almost to himself. "Regardless, we will figure out how he hopes to use your powers."

"Can we do it tomorrow?" Jenna yawned, "It's been a long day and I need time to process, as well as some sleep."

"About that," Chris winced, "We kind of think you should stay here until we have it all figured out."

"What?!" Jenna screeched, causing all three men to wince.


	15. Chapter 15

Chris rolled over on the too short couch and huffed crankily. He just **knew **he was going to get a painful crick in his neck from his sleeping arrangement. It had taken all three of them to calm down and convince the blonde disaster to accept their wisdom. After a full hour of argument she'd finally given in, and she had hardly been gracious about it!

Wyatt had looked at Chris when Jenna questioned icily where she was to sleep, answered that she was **Chris'** innocent and headed into his room to sleep in his own bed. To be fair to Wyatt, after the other Chris had orbed back to the manor, he had tried to conjure a bed for Jenna, somehow the two thought it ungentlemanly to have the five foot two blonde sleep on the overstuffed six foot long couch. After a half hour of disappointment Wyatt had made his proclamation and headed to his room, to sleep in his comfortable bed, Chris thought again with disgruntlement. Leaving Chris to do the gentlemanly thing and offer up his own incredibly comfy bed to the tiny dynamo who would only sleep on the smallest portion, while he was stuck trying to arrange his lanky six foot two frame on the couch. He sighed huffily again. Sometimes selflessness really sucked! Suddenly a remark made by Jenna earlier popped into his head, he'd barely given it a thought while trying to explain about magic to the petite nonbeliever, but now it intruded, 'she said her knight with the pretty green eyes', he thought, then, 'she thinks my eyes are pretty', with a small smile he settled as comfortably as he could into the couch.

(X)

"You got everything you need Chris?" Piper asked her overnight guest. She'd only been slightly surprised by his reappearance this evening. She'd thought that he might return. Her poor Chris, stuck in an unfamiliar world without his own place in it, as Chris was currently in his own place. She rubbed her eyes tiredly; the paradoxes of time travel could really bring on a killer headache.

"I'm fine, mom. How about you?" He hadn't missed her action.

She smiled at his concern, "I'm good. I'm just trying to wrap my brain around all the time travel issues and what not."

"Try being the traveler," Chris suggested.

"As I recall," Piper stated, "I have had my share of time traveling." She looked at Chris worriedly. "You're so different from the Chris I'm now used to. It's like you're two entirely different people with the same face. It's going to be a little hard to lose you again."

"I won't really be gone, Mom, I'll always be Chris and I'll always be with you."

(X)

A/N another shortish chapter for y'all but I wanted to get it out while it was fresh in my mind. Sorry folks but other than a beginning and an end for most of my stories the middle just kind of flows, I don't plan ahead. Technically, I already wrote this episode but felt that it was too short so I added the demon attack and the fire starter so the story is much different now- my daughter is so angry she insists my readers who have already read this story will be furious that instead of just fixing writing errors I'm adding a whole new dimension, but I'm older so I just tell her to shush. Hope she's wrong and no one's cranky. I can't claim newness but I can claim that I still have no idea what I'm doing.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

"Hey Sam, any chance you can come over to the loft today?" Chris asked into his cell phone.

"Sure, big Cuz. What's up?"

"I met an innocent last night, who's actually a witch, a bit freaked about being a witch and has no idea how to control her power," he answered.

"What can I do to help?"

"Well, she's a pyro, so I thought…"

"That I could ice it down for her?" Samantha Mitchell asked archly. "You know Chris, it's a bit insulting that you don't even know which of us is which." She spoke, of course, of her identical twin sister, Victoria who was pyrokinetic, while she herself was actually cryokinetic.

Chris winced.

At his cousin's insulted voice came screeching from Chris' phone, Wyatt raised an eyebrow, "You are having NO luck at all with the ladies are you?" At Chris' glare, he continued undeterred, "Forgot that Sam is the icy one did you?"

Chris ended his call with his cousin's promise to bring her sister to the loft. He defended himself testily, "You didn't remind me last night when I was reminding…me…of our cousin the pyrokinetic."

"I didn't know, Mel told me it was the other way around," Wyatt shrugged. Jenna entered the room and Wyatt turned his attention to her, "Sleep well?" He asked solicitously.

"Yes," she smiled. "Thanks. What's number one on the to-do list?"

Samantha and her twin orbed in, right next to the other Chris, who orbed at the same time. The girls, still a little unsure of the landing actually collided with him. "Oops sorry," Sam winced.

"No problem," Chris 2 said gallantly, putting an arm out to steady her. He looked to his counterpart for answers.

"This is our cousin Sam, and our cousin Vic," Chris informed the room at large.

"Are they twins?" Jenna half whispered to Wyatt, "Because with you people, there's just no telling."

"Chris, why are there two of you?" Sam asked.

"Long story," he sighed, "I'll explain later. Right now we need to focus on Jenna." Jenna gave a slight wave to the twins. "There's a demon and a half after her…" At the questioning look on his cousins' faces, he answered, "I'll explain later. Anyway she needs to learn how to control her powers and defend herself."

"Can a witch technically still be an innocent?" Vic asked.

"It's been awhile since anyone's referred to me as one," Jenna laughed lightly.

'She must've gotten a really good night's sleep in my bed,' Chris thought crankily.


	17. Chapter 17

"So we use her as bait

"So we use her as bait?" Chris asked himself incredulously. "Isn't it _our_ job to _protect _her?"

"Yes. But we can't protect her if the demon won't show itself," Chris 2 explained, exasperated.

"I don't like it." Chris said, "It feels wrong to me."

"Trust me," Chris told himself. He then headed to Jenna who was practicing her power under Vic's tutelage. Lucky that Sam had come with her twin; between them they were able to keep the fires manageable. He wiggled his finger at Jenna indicating that she should follow him. To his twin's surprise she did, with no complaints!

"I have an idea. It's a little dangerous but we will protect you." He began.

"What is the plan?" She asked with interest. Jenna was a doer, she hated sitting, hated not knowing. Since meeting the strange family she had had many of her questions answered and felt like she was up to the task of handling her power. She wanted the threat gone so she could continue her life.

"We use you as bait," Chris 2 stated baldly. "Neither Yickem or Bradas are likely to attack with any of us present."

"So you leave me alone?" She asked, not sure she liked the plan.

"Not really. See the magical community is full of gossip. Demons know that Wyatt and Chris can't orb. They have no idea that _I _can. I can also sense you. I'll know when you're in trouble." Chris 2 assured her.

"Um, I guess. If you think it will work?" Jenna said fearfully.

"It will work." Chris2 promised. He didn't miss the unsure looks of himself, Wyatt and the twin cousins he'd never had.

(X)

Jenna strode into her apartment. After learning the truth of her situation it seemed anticlimactic. She'd always loved her home; it was her refuge, her sanctuary. Now it felt too small, like it didn't fit anymore. She felt larger and more powerful. She felt the need to change other aspects of her life. To live up to the destiny she was sure awaited her. Her apartment didn't feel like home anymore, didn't feel safe. She knew that the demon or his minion would arrive soon. She felt her refuge violated before the fact. Chris, the original Chris, had explained about his family, how there had been so many demon attacks in their home that they couldn't even count them all. She wondered how they'd felt.

Her car had been stolen once. The police found it abandoned two days later and returned it to her. She had been uncomfortable driving it, knowing that a stranger had sat in her seat, had rifled through her glove box. She'd sold the car soon after, it had felt unclean, used and not like it belonged to her anymore. She could only imagine the pain of demons routinely attacking her at home. Having to replace furniture, having to walk through her rooms and remember this is where so and so demon was vanquished. She wondered idly if there was a spell to repel demons from her home. As quickly, she dismissed the notion. Surely if there was such a spell the Halliwells would have long since used it. But hadn't the other Chris also said that witches could write their own spells? While she was in her musings Bradas attacked!


	18. Chapter 18

A/N I know it's been a long time between updates. I am hoping to finish my season, but have decided that the 'filler' episodes just don't inspire me, so I am writing episodes with substance while, of course, trying to get my rewrites/reworks in. I can't promise anything but I do hope to refinish this episode soon. Please leave reviews, they help keep me motivated.

(X)

Jenna was furious with herself! She _knew_ that she'd be attacked, but she'd been so lost in her daydreams that she had still been caught unaware. She prayed that the second Chris had been right; that he could sense her where she was. 'Where am I?' she thought to herself. Being so new to the craft she had no idea that she was in the underworld. She hated that she was vulnerable and waiting to be 'saved'; she never pictured herself as the damsel in distress. It was a role she despised. She took her anger out on the demon.

"What the hell do you want from me?" She spit at him.

"Your power," he admitted. "I confess, after all the trouble Yickem had in obtaining you, I had thought that it would be more of a challenge."

(X)

"What do you mean you can't sense her?" Chris asked himself in anger. "You promised her that she would be safe!"

"Calm down," Chris 2 commanded, "I can't concentrate with you barking in my ear." He closed his eyes, trying to locate the witch.

"What is taking so long?" Chris growled. Jenna was a pain in the ass but that didn't mean he didn't want her safe!

"It's harder than I thought," Chris 2 explained, "She's not my charge so it's harder for me to find her. Wyatt, it would be incredibly helpful if you could control your brother," Chris said patronizingly, "so I can concentrate." He added through gritted teeth.

Wyatt glared at the rude version of his brother, which went largely unnoticed, as Chris 2 had closed his eyes again trying to locate the endangered witch. His cousins stood next to him.

Vic whispered, "I could set his shoes on fire for you," she offered.

"I'd encase him in ice, but I'm not sure he'd notice the temperature change." Sam offered protectively. "What is his problem?" She added, "He's not like our Chris at all. He's bossy and snotty."

Wyatt grinned thankfully at his cousins. He felt suddenly grateful for family and it turned into a pang of regret. He felt sure that Mel had been right. _This _Chris hadn't had much affection in his life. Hadn't had as large a family as he should have. He certainly didn't know how to deal with people! His disdain for others was apparent in his cold green eyes and he didn't even bother to try to hide it. Regret added to his guilt. The not-so-nice version of Chris was the way he was largely because in his reality his brother had influenced so much. Seeing the evidence of the destruction evil-alternate-Wyatt had wrought made him grateful that this Chris had dared to change his past and guilty, although he knew it was ridiculous, of what he was capable of. He wondered to himself if he was still capable of such destruction.

"Found her!" Chris 2 finally exclaimed proudly. He turned his eyes towards the group huddled semi-protectively near each other. His relief at finding Jenna was short lived. Anger flared in his eyes. There stood his family united against him! It was his sacrifice that had made their cozy existences possible! "See what happens when we all stay quiet for a few minutes?" He sneered snottily.

"Can you get over yourself for a moment?" Vic challenged, "Isn't Jenna our concern? Shouldn't we be saving her instead of ridiculing each other?"

"You're right." He strode towards them, putting a hand on each of the men's shoulders. "Fire and Ice can you follow?"

"It's Samantha and Victoria," Sam retorted.

"And there's nowhere you could go that we couldn't follow," Vic assured him with wounded pride.

"Whatever," Chris 2 answered as he orbed out with Wyatt and himself in tow.

(X)


	19. Chapter 19

The five rescuers stood perplexed outside a cavern.

"I thought you said you'd found her!" Chris exploded.

"I did," Chris 2 defended himself, "She's in there," he waved towards the cave indicating that she was inside. "Apparently Bradas had the foresight to put charms on his home, because we can't enter."

"The hell we can't!" Wyatt finally snapped. He threw out his hand sending energy ball after energy ball into the magical shield. His relatives quickly added their powers. His cousins alternating between freezing and torching the shield, Chris, however was upset. So far, he'd discovered that he was telekinetic and could be invisible but he had no power to throw at the barrier. In fury he threw his hands towards the cave, willing them to form energy balls like Wyatt, instead a pulsing electric wave erupted, shocking the shield which seemed to be weakening. Chris 2 was chanting quietly and quickly at the barrier.

(X)

"I'm sorry," Jenna bit out, "But you can't have my power. I found that I like it. Don't you have any power of your own?" She taunted.

Enraged, Bradas backhanded her. "Not enough for my needs!" He roared. "I tire of being a low level demon, with your power I can become a demon of consequence. The Source likes to have pyrokinetic bodyguards, I will be one," he vowed, hitting her again.

"How will you get it from me?" Jenna asked, stalling for time. How long could it take the Halliwells to figure out that Bradas had taken the bait!

A dark priest entered the cavern. He waved his hand at Jenna who was instantly asleep. He waved again and she was clothed in a black lacy dress, a mockery of a wedding dress. "Are you ready?" he asked Bradas.

"Of course" said the demon, grabbing Jenna's comatose hand.

"You know the price you will pay?" The priest reminded Bradas.

"Of course. Her soul." Bradas waved dismissively, "I don't need it to have her power."


	20. Chapter 20

A/N Thank you so much to my reviewers. I appreciate you all staying with me. I intend to thank you each personally. Lizardmomma, I always enjoy hearing from you, Shivani123 welcome aboard. (Is your name from the gypsy episode by any chance?)

(X)

The priest started chanting in a dark tongue. Jenna's eyes snapped open, yet she seemed unaware of her surroundings.

Bradas stood to her side as they faced the priest. The dark priest laid his hands on each of the foreheads before him, still chanting.

The haggard Soothsayer entered the chamber smiling evilly. From the confines of her cloak she withdrew an athame. The wicked curved twin sided blade was on one end, the other, the hilt, was wooden with runes burned into the wood. It was obviously an ancient tool; perhaps almost as old as the Soothsayer herself. She had waited patiently for this moment, biding her time 'helping' the imbecile Bradas. She liked her demons big and stupid. While some demons were larger than Bradas there were none quite so gullible. She smiled again.

(X)

"It's getting weaker!" Sam shouted, urging her relatives on.

Chris needed no such urging. His anger over his inability to keep their innocent safe lent him a surge of strength. His fingers splayed, the lightening shooting straight from his fingertips towards the cave opening was unlike natural lightening. Lightening usually comes in bolts, but Chris' never stopped, never wavered.

Finally the shield protecting Bradas' lair blew apart. It was several moments before Chris was able to reign in his new power.

A grudging respect entered the eyes of Chris 2. He clapped his, this world, counterpart on the shoulder, "Great job! I knew you had it in you!"

Chris turned to his twin with a roundhouse punch to the face, which sent the time traveler reeling. "How about that? Did you know that I had that in me too?" He strode angrily into the cave. His family quickly following behind.

Chris 2 wiped his bloody lip on the back of his hand. A warm twinkle entered his eyes as he said, "Of course."


	21. Chapter 21

Entering the cavern, Chris tk'd the Dark Priest away from the couple. Wyatt did the same with Bradas. The Soothsayer shimmered out before anyone even noticed her there. Sam pursed her lips and blew, encasing the Dark Priest in ice and her sister shot fire from her fingertips, effectively vanquishing Bradas. Chris rushed to Jenna's side. The tiny blonde blinked in confusion.

It took a moment for her to clear her head. Chris gallantly held her to steady her the entire time. Once she seemed to regain her composure she slapped Chris across his face for all she was worth. His head rocked to the side and an angry red handprint instantly covered his left cheek. "It took you long enough!" Her voice softened, "I'm sorry. Sometimes I have anger issues." She shrugged.

Chris 2 had entered the room, "No worries. I deserved that." He grinned, despite his split lip.

(X)

Chris 2 and Wyatt entered the manor. The soothing aroma of Piper's cooking instantly assailed their senses. The three men had returned Jenna to her apartment with the promise that Victoria would continue to help her gain control of her power. A grinning Samantha had winked to Jenna saying that she would help too, in case the two Hotheads needed to cool down. The twins had orbed home together. Wyatt and time traveling Chris had returned to the family home for their promised shared dinner with their family. Chris would be joining them soon, but first, he wanted to make sure that Jenna was settled and fine.

Piper greeted them at the door. "You boys look tired," she eyed Chris' swollen lip, she quirked an eyebrow, "and banged up." She grinned, "Nothing like saving an innocent is there?" She asked, clapping them both on their shoulders in a congratulatory fashion.

"Boys!" Leo called warmly, "Did you save the day?" His hazel eyes twinkled.

"Is dinner done, Mom?" Wyatt asked in a hopeful tone.

"Not yet, but soon. Why don't you boys tell Dad all about your daring exploits while I finish up." She suggested. "Hopefully Chris will be here by then."

Her sons followed her advice, seating themselves in the family room to tell Leo all about their day.

(X)

"You're sure you're fine?" Chris asked.

"Yeah," Jenna smiled, "I'm made of sterner stuff than that. Sorry about the slap," she winced slightly. "Does it hurt?"

Chris grinned, "I'm made of sterner stuff than that." He echoed. He took a card out of his pocket and handed it to the small witch. "In case you need it," he said hesitantly, "my cell number is there."

Jenna read from the card, "P3, Chris Halliwell manager." She looked up from the card and into his eyes, "I'm surprised. Here I thought it might have read: Chris Halliwell, knight in shining armor, rescuer of damsels," she smiled.

Chris shrugged, enjoying her banter, "Those are still at the printers."

"I'm also surprised," Jenna said slowly, "That after all the trouble I was for you that you were able to break through that barrier…" She'd been told by the females in the rescue party about Chris' determination.

"They might have exaggerated a bit. Cousins, they love me. I really think that I was just cranky and out of sorts after sleeping on the couch." He downplayed his heroism with a smile. He straightened up to full height, "So…uh…anyway, if you ever need help, figuring out the witchcraft thing, spells, potions…what not…feel free to call." He blushed.

Jenna stretched up on tiptoe to give Chris a chaste kiss on his cheek, "I just might call," she mock threatened with a broad grin.

(X)

"So what happened to Chris' lip?" Leo quizzed when his boys finished their tale, since they had left that part out.

"Well," Wyatt began slowly, "Chris punched him."

"Why?" Mel rushed in with her question, and then added, "Chris? Our Chris?"

"Yes, Mel, _your _Chris punched me. Couldn't handle the stress, I guess," he shrugged.

Wyatt's brows knitted into a frown, "That's not why."

(X)


	22. Chapter 22

A/N Last chapter and I am FINALLY done with this rewrite. Thank you so much to those who continue to read.

(X)

Chris 2 swept a mocking bow Wyatt's way, "Well, your Highness, let's hear your version."

"My version," Wyatt gritted, finally fed up with his brother's obnoxious counterpart, "Is that Chris was disappointed, a lot, in your inability to keep your word."

"My word?" When did I lie?" Chris 2 asked.

"When you assured everyone who thought your plan was wrong that you could keep Jenna safe." Wyatt clarified.

Chris entered his family home and immediately heard his brother and himself arguing. He headed into the family room, rushing alongside Piper, who had just noticed the raised voices herself.

"I didn't hear any of you coming up with a plan," Chris was saying to Wyatt. "Besides," he added with a negligible shrug, "she's safe, isn't she?"

"That's because we all used everything we had on that damn barrier," Wyatt growled at Chris2.

"I didn't _know _there'd be a barrier, Big Brother. I figured _you'd _be enough to save her, we were just there to marvel at your magnificence," Chris2 shot back nastily.

"I. Am. Not. Your. Big. Brother." Wyatt enunciated each word slowly, making each one its own sentence. "I don't particularly think I'm all that magnificent."

"We finally agree on something," Chris 2 sneered.

Piper started to rush between the two men, Leo seeing this stopped her. She looked at him with a question in her eyes, he shook his head at her, understanding gleaming in his.

Chris 2 continued, "You ruined **everything**! King Wyatt, the Twice-blessed." He ranted, "Do you have _any _idea how much you took from me?" He shouted.

"What did I take from you, Chris? Besides your pacifier when I was three and Christy Casey; which wasn't my fault, that was Phoenix's doing." Wyatt gritted condescendingly.

"You killed everyone!" Chris 2 panted, "Want to know why Mel never turned 11? Who finally ended the Charmed Ones? Why I don't have a fiancée?" Too angry for words Chris 2 tk'd Wyatt into a wall; where he slumped, before standing. "YOU killed my fiancée!" He tk'd him back into the wall. Chris rushed forward to stop the two, Chris 2 saw him coming and tk'd him as well. He stopped himself cold, obviously _this _Chris was used to having powers, his telekinesis had evolved so far that he didn't have to move someone, rather he could keep them immobile. "YOU killed Aunt Phoebe!" He tk'd Wyatt across the room. Wyatt stood again, swaying slightly. "You killed Aunt Paige!" He again tk'd Wyatt, who, again, stood. Wyatt started walking towards his 'brother'. "You killed Mel!" Chris 2 tried to tk Wyatt still, but he only slowed him down, a little. "YOU KILLED MOM!" Again he tried to tk Wyatt, this time the blonde man didn't even feel it, he just kept coming. "Why don't you use your powers against me?" Chris 2 railed at Wyatt.

Piper shared a look of understanding with her husband.

"You don't know me. I am NOT the Wyatt who would use his powers against his brother! I did NOT kill your fiancée, hell, Chris; in this reality you've never _had _one! I did NOT kill Aunt Phoebe; she lives happily across the street with Uncle Coop and Peyton! I did NOT kill Aunt Paige; she lives next door with Uncle Henry, the twins and Henry Jr! I did NOT kill Mel! I would _**never **_hurt our sister! I DID NOT KILL MOM! I'm not the egomaniacal, soulless, bastard who did any of those things. I thank you for making it possible, now get off my back!" Wyatt had reached Chris, was staring him eye to eye. He reached out and pulled his brother into a hug. He wasn't surprised when moments later he was hugging air.

"Took you long enough," the last Chris standing grinned at his brother.

(X)

The family was seated at the table. Mel was still confused. "How did the other Chris vanish?"

Chris looked at his little sister, "The issues with Wyatt weren't really _my_ issues. The issue was that Wyatt felt guilty over something he never did. Once Wyatt realized that he was blameless the other Chris was done."

"Why didn't you just say so earlier, instead of wreaking the house?" Mel wondered.

"'Cuz I didn't know it myself until we merged again." Chris shrugged.

"Do you have your headache back?" Mel asked.

"No," Chris grinned, or tried to, his swollen lip prevented it. "Although I don't see how it's fair that **I **end up with a split lip." He groused.

Piper's lips twitched as she tried to keep the smile off her face, "Magic _does_ happen for a reason, but there are sometimes consequences."

"What I don't understand is how the other Chris knew that the spell would backfire…or work the way it did," her brows were knit in confusion.

This time it was Chris' lips that twitched, "He'd been the Charmed Ones White-Lighter once," he winked, "He knew what to expect."

(X)

In the cave where Yickem had been vanquished, Bradas was alone except for the statue of ice that had once been a Dark Priest. He danced around the cave in joy, or what passes for dancing when a body is as malformed as Bradas'.

The Soothsayer entered, seeing his happy abandon. "Bradas, what are you doing?" She asked in a voice as cold as the Dark Priest now was.

Abruptly he stopped, "I am free," he informed the hag.

"Free?" She spat at him, "You have always been _**my **_servant Bradas!" She informed the now saddened again hunchbacked demon.


End file.
